1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ornamental jewelry, and more particularly to jewelry for piercing the body, and having a removable and detachable eyepole. An eyepole serves as a pendant accessory to a stud earring. A stud may be employed, so that the jewelry is convertible between being a primary earring, a stand alone jewelry, and being a support for a pendant accessory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Earrings have long been employed to adorn a person's ear. Similar jewelry is also employed to pierce other parts of the body, such as the nose. All references to earrings will, therefore, be understood to apply to jewelry piercing and penetrating entirely through a part of the human body. Earrings may clamp to the ear lobe, or may penetrate the ear lobe. The subject jewelry is of the latter type, including a stud anchored within the ornamental portion, passing through the ear lobe, and engaging a clasp or retainer on the other side of the ear lobe.
An aesthetic effect or appearance is created by each set of jewelry. From time to time, a person will desire to vary the particular effect or appearance, for example to be in accordance with apparel of a different color scheme, style, or degree of formality. As jewelry can be quite expensive, it becomes a costly proposition to maintain an extensive collection of jewelry which would be suitable for all occasions. At the same time, a person may be quite attached to a particular item of jewelry, and desire to display the one item in diverse settings.
This situation is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 758,848, issued to Josef Pejchar on May 3, 1904. A gemstone or other ornamental portion is engaged by a pronged jewelry setting which incorporates a small, threaded stud. A pendant accessory is optionally attached to the ornamental portion by passing the stud through a link in the chain attached to the ornamental portion of the pendant accessory. The stud is passed through the ear lobe and retained in conventional manner.
This arrangement is dependent upon standard mounting schemes for the ornamental portion of both the primary jewelry and also the pendant accessory. If a gemstone is employed as the ornamental portion of either case, a pronged setting is required. By contrast, the present invention mounts the ornamental portion on the stud by locating a threaded anchor within the ornamental portion. Unlike Pejchar's pendant accessory, the ornamental portion so mounted can alternatively be employed as the primary jewelry and as a pendant accessory. Neither of Pejchar's ornamental items could substitute for the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,365, issued to Elizabeth Luceno on May 28, 1991, describes a mounting of a piercing type earring employing both frictional engagement of a stud and also threaded connection of a clasp or retainer. However, the stud projecting from the earring is permanently attached thereto. By contrast, the stud unthreads from the earring in the present invention. The elements in Luceno's earring which thread together are a sleeve and retainer and clasp. The stud of the earring passes through the sleeve. There is no sleeve in the present invention. There is no convertibility possible in Luceno's jewelry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,183, issued to Robert U. Salerno on Apr. 20, 1993, features a stud which is separable from both its associated ornament and from the clasp or retainer. The stud is insertable through a small bearing race, so that the ornament is rotatably held thereon after assembly. Unlike the present invention, there is no threaded anchor within Salerno's ornament, and Salerno's jewelry is not convertible to another appearance or effect apart from rotation of the ornament.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.